1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a golf club head, and a method of constructing such a head. More specifically, this invention relates to the manufacture of a golf club head, of the iron or wood type, including an assembly of walls defining an internal cavity and including a striking wall having an inner face facing towards the cavity, connected peripherally at all points to other walls of the assembly, and a ballasting weight provided within the cavity.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
A head of above-mentioned type is described, for example, in Japanese patent application No. 61/176372, which shows in FIG. 6 a wood head provided with a ballasting weight in a lower part of a cavity. The ballasting weight is intended to influence both the overall mass of the head and the position of the center of gravity of the head. In the foregoing, as well as in what follows, expressions such as "lower" and "upper", and other such expressions, refer to a normal position of the club head, when used by a golfer, at the instant that the head strikes a ball. Further, expressions such as "front" and "rear" are to be understood with reference to a direction of movement of the head when this impact, or striking, of the ball takes place. Thus, the striking wall closes the internal cavity of the head of the club at the front, and its inner face is directed towards the rear.
The only disclosure with can be obtained from the aforementioned Japanese patent application concerning the position of the ballasting weight and, as a consequence, the center of gravity of the club head, is revealed from an examination of FIG. 6 of the application, which shows that the weight and, consequently, the center of gravity, are very much offset to the rear with respect to the impact wall.
In some circumstances, it is preferable, however, to have a center of gravity which is comparatively closer to the striking wall and, for this purpose, Japanese patent application No. 63/71272 proposes in FIG. 1 that a club head, in particular a wood head, is ballasted by means of a weight provided by an integral wall portion of increased thickness on the striking wall itself, and has a thickness which increases from top to bottom with reference to the latter.
This arrangement certainly makes it possible to place the center of gravity close to the striking wall, but it has the major disadvantage of influencing the behavior of the latter when it impacts against the ball, so that it behaves in a heterogeneous manner as a result of the heterogeneity in its thickness, with reference to the striking wall.